Passive Me, Aggressive You
The Secret Lives Of Dancers
The Naked and Famous CD Review by Melissa Low
TV3, Tuesday at 8pm TV Review by Rebecca Williams
THE FIRST TIME I HEARD OF THE NAKED AND FAMOUS WAS around eight months ago. I remember sitting on the couch, flicking
FINALLY, A NZ SHOW YOU CAN SINK YOUR TEETH INTO. The Secret Lives of Dancers is easily the most titillating television I’ve seen in years.
through the music channels on Sky. Their music video for Birds came up on Juice TV and I stopped chewing on cornflakes for a moment to watch these images of flowers, silhouettes, and band members being wrapped up in ribbon. I didn’t understand the meaning behind it all, but I remember saying to myself “yeah, this band will never make it mainstream in NZ. Their sound won’t be heard in the top 40 hits”. I should really eat my shoes for saying that, because after the success of their song Young Blood debuting in the number one spot on the New Zealand charts, The Naked and Famous have released their debut to a growing group of followers. Listening to their debut album, Passive Me, Aggressive You, is like being on a long drive. Not the sort of long drives where you’re frustratingly stuck in city bound traffic at 7.30am, but the drives where it is nearing sunset and you’re speeding out of the city, trying to make your way towards the nearest beach. You have moments in the journey where it is really eventful and exciting, but the slower and softer parts have you in a dream-like hypnotic state, like driving on an empty and open road. All of This is a really catchy opening to the album. One that draws you in with its head rocking beat and upbeat vocal duet, then ties you down with its bouncy guitar solo. To stop listening at this song gives you the wrong impression that the band is merely a pop sound. As it moves onto Punching in a Dream, more synths come out and Alisa Xayalith’s lead vocals really shine. They scream, they plead, they wail, and they get your attention. This is the same with Young Blood. The song is like an anthem that cries in angst and frustration, and even though the lyrics may not make literal sense instantly, they’re soaked with so much emotion it doesn’t matter. Many of the other songs on the album continue to have that electronic/ alternative feel. The track Eyes feels like a slow and dreamy Ladyhawke track, with an underlying 80s synth vibe, while Frayed has elements that remind me of Radiohead’s In Rainbows album. These different sounds help mix it up a little between the tracks without drawing too much attention away from their sound. I wouldn’t say this album is flawless however; some songs in the album don’t seem to fit as well as others. A Wolf in Geeks Clothing is a real hit to the senses, like driving into really loud and messy road works at a chaotic intersection. The song’s intro becomes more unnecessary noise than anything else. Whether it is an attempt to make sure the songs are recognised to be individual and unique, this one track just feels really uncomfortable and out of place. Despite that, the Passive Me, Aggressive You is a great debut album. I hope this band doesn’t become another victim of radio overkill, or that Australia claims them as their own. I can tell The Naked and Famous still have a lot to offer to New Zealand music in the future.
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You don’t need to be a fan of the ballet to enjoy this soap opera, all the action is off stage. It’s only natural that a bunch of super-fit 20-somethings who spend all of their time rubbing up against each other in leotards and hot pants would turn to each other for gratification. In the very first episode, dancer Katie explains how she started banging (or as Katie calls it: “Making love to”) the principal male dancer Michael when his WIFE and CHILDREN left for Australia. Katie announces this to the country quite happily and goes on to explain her mother’s reaction to their affair (or as Katie calls it: “relationship”). Suddenly by episode two, their love is on the rocks and by episode three it’s all over….or is it. They go on tour and Katie seems to have put their names down for the same room (whoops) but Michael just isn’t interested. She whimpers to the camera about how they are happy to have a loving relationship without being in a relationship (?) as the camera switches to a shot of completely disinterested Michael hiding from Katie in the other room. That night, Michael makes Katie sleep on the couch and that’s when things go from sadly obsessive to Fatal Attraction. Unluckily for Michael/Luckily for Katie, they are paired up for a number of duets despite their awkward relationship. Suddenly, in the midst of practice, Katie falls....Did Michael drop her on purpose or did Katie orchestrate the whole thing simply to get his undivided attention? As Katie rolls around on the floor like a possum that’s been run-over, I rewind to watch the fall in slow motion. Not only did Katie have enough time to save herself from falling, but she barely fell a foot. My suspicions are confirmed later in the show, when Michael is giving Katie a guilt-ridden back massage in “their” room. Camera pans up to Katie’s face bearing a smirk that only a cat with cream could produce. Will Katie be able to perform next week? Will she try to get pregnant if this ploy fails? How many of the other ballerinas is Michael boffing? How many guys are watching this show and wishing they started doing ballet too? As if this drama wasn’t enough the principal female ballerina Abigail is nursing a catastrophic injury, new recruit Lucy is learning the ropes and the gang hit the road on tour. Originally produced for a Saturday afternoon timeslot, the show proved so good that it was upgraded to prime time. It works because the dancers are interesting, young, modern and professional athletes. They have to battle serious injuries and intense training on top of hormones. It’s gold. Tune in next week for the buff bods and/or high drama and/or scandalous affairs as the troupe start their nation-wide tour.